3 former LSU players named among the NFL’s top free agents this offseason
It was a great year for Tigers in the NFL. Most notably, quarterback Joe Burrow had a dominant second season, and after being reunited with Ja’Marr Chase, the pair led the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl, losing a close game to the Los Angeles Rams.
However, that resulted in Super Bowl rings for another pair of LSU football alumni in Odell Beckham Jr. and Andrew Whitworth.
Now the offseason is upon us, and we’re just over two weeks away from the beginning of NFL free agency on March 16. When the time comes for unrestricted free agents to sign new contracts, there will be several former LSU players that will be among the top options available.
Touchdown Wire ranked the top 30 potential free agents on both offense and defense, and three Tigers players cracked the list. Here’s where each stands.
Next: Beckham could be back on the move
No. 9 (offense) – WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After his departure from the Cleveland Browns, Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Los Angeles Rams was quickly incorporated into their passing game. Early on, Beckham served as the backside dig option for Matthew Stafford, in a role he was used for during his time in Cleveland, but now with a quarterback willing to make those throws.
As his time wore on with the Rams, Beckham found more ways to be utilized in the Los Angeles passing game, and his touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI is a prime example. Sean McVay aligned Beckham as the inside receiver in a trips formation and worked him vertically on a wheel route, getting him isolated against Mike Hilton for the game’s first touchdown.
While Beckham suffered an ACL injury in the Super Bowl, which might delay his availability for the start of the 2022 season, his time with the Rams showed his value to an NFL offense and that there are still more productive years ahead of him in the league.
Beckham saw a complete career resurgence after landing with the Rams midway through the 2021 season. Los Angeles needed him, too, as Robert Woods suffered a season-ending injury shortly after he joined the roster.
He showed just how good he can be when he’s a feature player in the offense, and assuming he has a good outlook on the ACL, someone will land a top receiver who is still in his prime.
Next: Change of scenery for Chark?
No. 25 (offense) – WR D.J. Chark Jr.
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D.J. Chark is a few seasons removed from his 2019 campaign, that saw him catch a career-high 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns and earned him a Pro Bowl selection. Since then he has appeared in just 17 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and his 2020 season was cut short due to a fractured ankle.
However, Chark is another prototyical X receiver in this free agent class, with the size, speed and release game to operate on the boundary and be effective in the downfield passing game.
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His injury history might soften the market a bit, but as we have seen receivers that can win on the outside against press and without the benefit of the two-way go from the slot are valued heavily, so Chark’s skill-set might still open some doors should he hit the open market.
Though Touchdown Wire says he was hurt during the 2020 season, it was actually this past season in 2021. He was considered a breakout candidate with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence coming to town, but he only played in the first four games.
His contract expires this offseason, but many expect that the Jaguars will bring him back. The team has among the most cap space in the league this offseason, and it can’t afford to lose contributors at receiver. If Chark hits the open market, though, he will certainly have a number of suitors.
Next: Honey Badger needs a new deal
No. 3 (defense) – S Tyrann Mathieu
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It seemed that in the Chiefs’ 2021 season, Mathieu was more famous for expressing his displeasure with the coverage abilities of teammate Daniel Sorensen than he was for anything he did on the field himself.
Well, Mathieu had a point. Several, in fact. As for his own 2021 performance, Mathieu was named the Chiefs’ Derrick Thomas MVP Award winner, and he allowed 39 catches on 51 targets for 397 yards, 241 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 93.3. Mathieu’s value to a defense is about more than just metrics, though — he’s the guy who can play credibly everywhere from the line to the box to the slot to free safety, and can erase quarterbacks and receivers with his range, quickness to the ball, and diagnostic skills. If the Chiefs don’t get a deal done here, or if they don’t franchise Mathieu, some defensive coordinator is going to get himself one of the NFL’s best shot-callers.
As long as he doesn’t put Mathieu anywhere near a safety who can’t cover.
There are certainly a long list of teams that would love to see Mathieu, one of the most dominant secondary players in the entire league, hit the open market. That doesn’t exactly seem likely, though.
As mentioned above, even if the Chiefs can’t get a deal done, they could always franchise tag Mathieu. It would be an expensive one, but this team also can’t afford to lose its best defensive player.
If Mathieu does become a free agent, though, there is sure to be an intense bidding war for his services.
List
Former Tigers that won a National Championship and a Super Bowl
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